SSU raised its record to 9-10 overall, 5-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

South Carolina State slipped to 4-15, 0-6 in conference play.

“We’re a team that has to play with energy,” SSU coach Horace Broadnax said. “We did that, and we were fortunate to knock down some shots tonight.”

The lethal combination enabled the Tigers to post their largest margin of victory against a Division I school (previously 26 against North Florida in 2007) and the largest offensive output this season. SSU has won four of its last five games.

The Tigers’ 14 threes broke the school single-game mark of 11 set this season on Nov. 25 against Chattanooga and Feb. 1, 2004 against Florida State.

It didn’t start out as if the Tigers would be checking the offensive record books. They went more than eight minutes without a field goal and fell behind the Bulldogs, 12-8.

But in less than two minutes, Rudolph woke up SSU with three 3-pointers during a 13-1 run.

“We were playing good defense and that led to fast breaks and open shots,” Rudolph said. “I guess defenses just lose me.”

Rudolph’s eight 3-pointers broke the school single-game record of seven that he shared with Javon Randolph. Rudolph’s mark came on Dec. 12 against Coastal Georgia. Randolph’s seven threes were against Longwood on Feb. 24, 2007.

Blackmon, who was held scoreless in the first half, provided the finishing touches with 17 second-half points. He had three threes in a 16-2 run that pushed the Tigers’ 33-25 lead to 49-27 less than five minutes into the second half.

“I was feeling it,” said Blackmon, who found his stroke just before the end of halftime warmups and carried it into the second half. “We needed that (run) if we wanted to take off against them.”

It all made for feel-good atmosphere for the home folks, who are seeing the team’s potential begin to bloom. Fans first did the wave, then did a slow-motion wave. They played with beach balls in the stands, then mockingly shook keys at the visitors in the final minutes

“We’re trying to take care of what’s in front of us,” Broadnax said. “But all the games are winnable if we click and do what we’re suppose to do.”

If all the pieces fall together, SSU will be a formidable opponent in the MEAC Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C., where a hot week will land the winner in the NCAA Tournament.

“We do think of the future,” Blackmon said. “But after all that is said, we have to take it one game at a time.”